Glaser-Dirks DG-500

DG-500
	Glaser-Dirks DG-505
Role	Two Seater Class sailplane
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Glaser-Dirks
First flight	19 March 1987

The Glaser-Dirks DG-500, and later the DG-505, is a two-seat glider of glass-reinforced plastic and carbon fiber reinforced plastic construction, manufactured in the DG Flugzeugbau GmbH in Bruchsal, Germany. It first flew in 1987.

Design

The glider is a trainer with an 18-metre wingspan or a high-performance glider with 20 or 22 m span. There are also trailing edge flaps with the exception of the Trainer and Orion variants. The 20m version also has winglets. The fuselage has a single wheel main landing gear which retracts into the lower fuselage.

The DG-500/18 is mainly intended for flight training, and is fully aerobatic with +7/-5 g rating. There is also a motorglider version, the DG-500M.^[1] The DG-500/22 can carry up to 160 kg of water ballast which is not possible on the trainer version. Since 2004, the latest version of the DG-500 has been built as the "DG-505 Orion" in Slovenia.

Past altitude record

The DG-500 once held the all-time altitude record for manned gliders, at 15,460 m (50,720 ft), set on 29 August 2006 by Steve Fossett and Einar Enevoldson, breaking the previous record by 1,713 ft (522 m).^[2] It was a standard DG-500M but the engine had been removed and replaced with liquid oxygen tanks. Additional instruments were installed powered by non-rechargeable batteries. The canopy had double-wall glazing and there was a drogue parachute for an emergency descent from high altitude. Pressure suits were worn.^[3] The glider is on display at the Seattle Museum of Flight.^[4] A new altitude record of 52,172 ft (15,902 m)^[5] was set by the Windward Performance Perlan II on September 3, 2017.

Variants

DG-500: Initial production with 18 m (59 ft) span wings.
DG-500/18: Aerobatic version
DG-500/22: high performance sailplane with 22 m (72 ft) span wings
DG-500M: Motorglider version of the DG-500, powered by a retractable pylon mounted 44.7 kW (59.9 hp) Rotax 535C engine
DG-500T Elan Trainer: 18 m (59 ft) span wings, fixed undercarriage, no flaps, full controls in both cockpits.^[6]
DG-505: improved DG-500
DG-505 Orion: Production version built in Slovenia
DG-505MB: Motorglider version of the DG-505 with a retractable Solo 2625-02 47 kW (63 hp) engine

Specifications (Elan Trainer)

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988-89,^[6]^[7]

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 8.66 m (28 ft 5 in)
Wingspan: 18 m (59 ft 1 in)
Height: 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)
Wing area: 16.6 m² (179 sq ft)
Aspect ratio: 19.52
Airfoil: root:Wortmann FX-73-K-170/20; tip:FX-73-K-170/22
Empty weight: 390 kg (860 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 630 kg (1,389 lb)

Performance

Stall speed: 65 km/h (40 mph, 35 kn) at 470 kg (1,040 lb)
Never exceed speed: 270 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn) in smooth air

197 km/h (106 kn; 122 mph) in rough air

197 km/h (106 kn; 122 mph) on aero-tow

140 km/h (76 kn; 87 mph) on winch launch

g limits: +5.3 - 2.65
Maximum glide ratio: 40 at 109 km/h (59 kn; 68 mph)
Wing loading: 37.95 kg/m² (7.77 lb/sq ft)

References

^ First flight of the DG-500M was in March 1987.
^ "Fai Record File". Archived from the original on 2015-04-13. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
^ "Perlan Project web site". Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
^ "DG Flugzeugbau GmbH Perlan Glider". Retrieved 15 November 2013.
^ "Airbus Perlan Mission II - World Record Claim Sept 3, 2017 | Perlan Project".
^ ^a ^b John W.R. Taylor, ed. (1988). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988-89. London: Jane's Information Group. pp. 620–621. ISBN 0-7106-0867-5.
^ "DG Flugzeugbau DG-500". sailplanedirectory.com. Archived from the original on 3 May 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.

External links

Manufacturer web site

[1] First flight of the DG-500M was in March 1987.

[2] "Fai Record File". Archived from the original on 2015-04-13. Retrieved 2015-01-27.

[3] "Perlan Project web site". Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2012.

[4] "DG Flugzeugbau GmbH Perlan Glider". Retrieved 15 November 2013.

[5] "Airbus Perlan Mission II - World Record Claim Sept 3, 2017 | Perlan Project".

[JAWA88-89-6] John W.R. Taylor, ed. (1988). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988-89. London: Jane's Information Group. pp. 620–621. ISBN 0-7106-0867-5.

[sddg500-7] "DG Flugzeugbau DG-500". sailplanedirectory.com. Archived from the original on 3 May 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.

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